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Samplesode 50: Behind the Bar Threedux

There is just too much beer in the world to only taste twice a month. In the spirit of more is better the Blind Tiger podcast team has decided to add samplesodes to the podcast lineup. These mini-episodes will feature only tastings of hopefully unique or exotic beer, often on location to keep your Blind Tiger intake at a more regular interval.

This week Mike, Jesse, and myself sat down in our studio to talk about an under appreciated side of the craft beer explosion, the men and women behind the bar that serve us our delicious beer.

This episode is the third of a new series of samplesodes called "Behind the Bar" where we sit down and discuss beer from the viewpoint of the other side of the bar. These unsung heroes of the the beer world that serve us the intoxicating liquid we call beer.

In this episode we sat down with Rich Ruoff. Rich is the founder of the Chameleon Club and Lizard Lounge. He created a bar and music venue with a love and passion for disparate and amazing live music for all ages.

At a very humble age Rich started the Chameleon Club with a handful of cash, a lot of grit, an ignorance that what he was doing was supposed to be impossible, a great taste in music, and an unrivaled work ethic. Within a few short years he had booked amazing gigs and had practically single handedly turned Lancaster in an indie music destination.

So much of Lancaster's explosive growth in live music can be traced back to the Chameleon Club's desire to bring the best music from around the country (and beyond) to our doorstep and Lancastrians responded with enthusiasm.

These days Rich has returned to dive into the Lancaster live music scene with his annual Roots and Blues festival which brings tons of amazing musical acts to Lancaster across almost every venue with a stage for a musical experience unrivaled. This year's Roots and Blues is February 26th-28th 2016. It is not to be missed.

Rich was generous to sit down with us and share the stories of fighting tooth and nail to turn the Chameleon Club from the ambitious dream of a 22 year old into the landmark club that is the lynchpin of the Lancaster music world. Listen to our interview about how this transformation from dead zone to the life of the party happened.